See what actually lands in your pocket: salary or dividends, including the company-side effect.
If your Irish limited company pays out an extra amount to you as its director and shareholder, how much reaches your pocket as salary versus as a dividend? This calculator compares both routes using 2026 rates and shows the company-level effect that most people forget: salary is deductible for Corporation Tax, dividends are not.
The whole payout is taxed at your marginal rate: for higher-rate taxpayers 40% income tax, 8% USC (income over EUR 70,044) and 4.4% PRSI (the blended 2026 employee rate is approximately 4.24%, rising to 4.35% from 1 October 2026); for standard-rate taxpayers 20% income tax, 3% USC and 4.2% PRSI. The 2026 standard rate cut-off is EUR 44,000 for a single person. Dividend Withholding Tax of 25% is credited against your final liability, so it changes the timing, not the total. The company’s Corporation Tax deduction is taken at the 12.5% trading rate. Real situations have credits, thresholds and PRSI subtleties this tool ignores.
Despite the higher overall cost, dividends can suit cases such as non-resident shareholders (potential DWT exemption with form V2A), shareholders who are not employees or directors, or one-off distributions of accumulated profits. The close company surcharge on undistributed passive income can also push a company towards distributing. The full breakdown, including a worked example, is in our guide on how to pay yourself from a limited company in Ireland. For payroll setup, see payroll services for your Irish Ltd, and for the company-side tax picture, our Corporation Tax guide.
Rates verified June 2026 (Revenue, citizensinformation.ie). Estimates only, not tax advice; talk to an accountant before deciding.
The calculator compares extracting profit as salary versus as a dividend for a director-shareholder of an Irish limited company, using 2026 rates. Salary is deductible for the company against Corporation Tax at 12.5 percent on trading income, and is taxed on the individual through PAYE, USC and PRSI. A dividend is paid from after-tax profit, so it carries Corporation Tax at the company level first and is then taxed on the individual through income tax, USC and PRSI, with no company deduction. The tool nets both routes to show the total cash in hand.
It depends on your total income, the company profit and your marginal rates. Salary reduces Corporation Tax because it is deductible, while dividends are paid from after-tax profit. Many owner-directors use a mix; this calculator shows the net effect of each route so you can compare.
Yes. It applies PAYE, USC and PRSI on salary, and income tax, USC and PRSI on dividends at 2026 rates.
No. It is a guide for comparison only. Speak to us or your accountant before deciding on director remuneration.
We'll get back to you within 1 business day.